


Finally Home

by Rainbrush



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-27 20:09:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16226438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbrush/pseuds/Rainbrush
Summary: Dan has gone off to work on his music for a few months. Unfortunately, he’s gone longer than you would have hoped, and you find yourself feeling alone and stuck without him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this in my drafts for months now, and I finally decided to finish it up. Hopefully it's enjoyable??

It had been months of constant tension and worries.

It started off with Dan telling you he needed to get work done-- which meant longer recording sessions at the Grump space and more songwriting and singing being produced at the studio. Episodes had to be pre-recorded and prepared for when he’d be off writing a new album with Brian, and that meant he needed time. Plenty of it too.

He said he didn’t know how long it would take, maybe one or two months at the least if he worked fast, but he did know he wouldn’t be around a lot while doing it. With the Grump work, he’d have to leave early in the mornings to beat the horrendous traffic of rush hour and come back late in the afternoons in order to have the time to get stuff done during the day. And as for music, he’d have to switch to a more semi-permanent option and spend the nights away for the convenience and to not get distracted.

He didn’t want you to feel distant from him because of it, and he didn’t want the changes to be so sudden. The thoughts of those things happening worried him, so that was why he was giving you the warning so early beforehand. And with the way he’d squeeze your knuckles and talk so quietly while looking into your eyes, you could tell by the body language that it really was bothering him. Even when he put out a soothing attitude and didn’t slip up on a single word he spoke, it was still evident.

His jaw shifted noticeably when he finally finished speaking and his focus went down to your fingers to avoid eye contact. The room had gone quiet and spiked in nervous tension, and in that one quick moment, you could see his entire act crumble-- from the way his eyes softened fearfully to how his hands quickly clamped up and then loosened again anxiously. Though he may have regained composure swiftly, he was still really quite transparent.

And for that, you broke the silence and laughed at him.

Not a small giggle or faint side chuckle, but a full, air-inhaling snort.

It made Dan look up instantly with a wondrously puzzled expression. He sat up a little straighter, trying to get a better look at you through the darkness of the room, and finally let a smile curve his unfittingly sad lips when he saw the assurance flare in your eyes. At first he thought you were taunting him, but when he pieced together the truth by the joyous aura you gave off, he was much happier to realize it was only you accepting what he said.

With that relief, he returned the favor of a bubbly laugh and hummed contently when you leaned in to wrap your arms around him for a hug. He embraced it welcomingly and hugged you back without hesitance, closing his eyes while resting his nose against the warmth of your neck. You’d do anything to keep him from feeling isolated because of his work, and it felt good to know that he trusted you. Whatever the matter or how long it would take, you’d be waiting patiently for him to finish and proudly support him on it all the way to the end.

Though, words were always easier to say than actions were to do.

Weeks passed after that night and the time had come for Dan to leave. You could remember standing by the front door with him, offering your hand caringly when he finished tying his shoes. Everything at the office was done and recorded days prior, and all that was left was for him to go and get started on the new album. What that essentially meant timewise was that he wouldn’t be coming home at night anymore, and would instead be spending every hour he had with Brian. In short, it would be a while until the two of you saw each other again.

The look on his face when he knew it was time to say goodbye was so vividly memorable. His eyebrows rose and accompanied his widened smile, and though it was goofy and charming, there was something about it that seemed softer and more gentle than usual. It was hard to tell if it was because it was early in the morning and he was still tired, or if it was emotions holding him back, but nonetheless, it was still his. And just looking at it made your heart achingly pound.

There was something so difficult about watching him go, but he knew the feeling just as much as you did. Using the hand you gave him to pull you closer, he brought you into his chest and sighed while draping his arms around you, tying you in a tight hug. It made you melt into his torso and exhale a long-awaited breath against his jacket, and when he began to rub a calming pattern of circles along your back, it made you feel like it was just another morning. One where he didn’t have to leave.

You could remember the kiss that followed afterward too, when he cupped your face gently and pressed both of your lips together and smiled. How he managed to hold down his composure and make the best of the moment, and how easily he could pull away from you and not lose his grin. He was happy for the most part because work was something he adored doing. And even though he’d be missing out on the person he loved in return, it didn’t bother him too much. It wasn’t like he’d be gone forever.

Yet that was what hurt the most. When he took that step out of the front door, he told you he’d be back home as soon as he could, repeating his previous statement of at least one or two months. Admittedly, that did make you feel more at ease, and you didn’t feel as bad as you thought you would have while waving him goodbye as he pulled out of the driveway. Still, you couldn’t help but feel the emptiness swarm you when you went back inside. It would be painful to wait for all that time to uneventfully pass.

But it was even more painful when those months finally did come and go, yet Dan still wasn’t home.

Nothing had happened and there were no real technical mishaps, it was just the fact that writing lyrics and getting music videos done took time to create. You would text with Brian occasionally about the progress of the album and see how it was going, and he’d always supply you with reliable answers and all the hearty information he could. Updates on songs and maybe a few sneak peaks were included, and sometimes even photos he took of Dan while on the job as a joke.

Of course, you’d text Dan too. He’d also drop hints and send you pictures of him all dressed up in his signature Danny Sexbang look, maybe with his infamous ragdoll clone or showing off his eye-catching guyliner with a wink. Though you loved these goofy things, you didn’t really talk with him about his work as much as you did with Brian. There were more late night conversations, ones where he’d say he wasn’t overworking or slacking and promise that he’d be home soon.

It was stressful when he’d promise you all these things but then break them when another month would pass. Even more so when he didn’t respond to your texts as much as he used to, or was never as joyous in his phone calls like he once was.

Everything he did made you feel stuck. Brian always tried to push his sarcastic and snarky attitude aside while messaging to make you feel better, and said that Dan was usually just in work mode and didn’t want to bother you with his job. Arin and Suzy were big help as well, and whenever they’d come over to hang out and have fun, you always felt a little less lonely and beyond happy to have them around.

Though even with all of the support and information you could get, there was no denying that you still felt… off. Almost selfish and guilty, too. Being a musician was hard work, especially when there was an album on the line; you understood that as clearly as you possibly could. But you only wished that you could more. Why was Dan always so out of it with you? Brian was nearly always fine, so why wasn’t the other?

Truth be told, it was getting hard to not feel distant. There were always moments in the day when you’d dwell on things and have second thoughts, or wonder what you were going to do when the lack of communication was so prominent. Everything between the two of you felt cut off, and it was starting to feel like Dan wasn’t even trying.

But he really, really was.

The singer had gone through countless sleepless nights during his time staying with Brian. The haunting thought of production not being done in time, having the fear that a certain song’s lyrics weren’t good enough, or just having subtle hits of homesickness that came with him worrying so much about the person on the other line of his untouched texts.

In his own honesty, he had definitely been overworking himself but hated to admit it. It luckily didn’t show in his vocals or in his music video spotlights, but it did afterward and at the end of the day. When he didn't have work to do he only felt exhausted, and gained all sorts of depressing emotions he didn’t want to put other people through. So he remained silent for the most part and usually just left himself alone with his thoughts, and focused on the good and the happiness that kept him content in order to keep his mind positive.

Though it was hard to not feel sad or sorrowful at times, by the end of one of the last months he was happy to hear that everything but the last bits of a few music videos were done. Everything else after that would be left up to their editors and production team, so he knew that he couldn’t pity himself anymore. He needed to keep going and trying because his goal was at last in sight. The thing he had made and broken so many promises for.

It was this realization that Dan knew was the final push he needed. He put away the feelings that made him feel negative and swallowed down all of the troubles from his personal life, and in a surprising burst of thrill and confidence, gave everything his all and made sure to have fun with it. He didn’t hesitate to put out every ounce of energy he had on the sets, and flaunted the cameras filming him with all the hip rolls and dorky dance moves that Danny Sexbang was known for.

With every shoot, his persona was blooming with its quirky uniqueness, and the over the topness that the band had been associated with couldn’t have been portrayed better. Even the usual stone cold Ninja Brian had admittedly been a little inspired and was just the tiniest bit more expressive too. And when the people filming along with the set managers all came out grinning and enthusiastically applauding, saying they did an amazing job, it couldn’t have warmed Dan’s heart more. It made him instantly think of the fans, and he was only able to hope that they’d enjoy everything as much as the crew did.

People loved what he did. People were the pressure he needed in the back of his mind to push him into doing things, and doing them right. The delays and the late due dates only made them more excited and eager, and all of their kind comments and pushes showed him that it was okay to take his time and to love what he was doing while doing it. People were waiting, and waiting for a project that Dan had been proud of.

Then finally, the time came. It had been the last day of recording, and the singer was back in his dressing room sometime shortly after. He was sitting in front of a vanity mirror, phone in hand, staring blankly himself while his heart still raced from the ecstasy of the set. There was sweat beading at his hairline, tons of makeup not yet washed off, and of course, spandex still clinging to his body and a cape hanging off his shoulders. He hadn’t bothered to even begin getting himself cleaned up, which was fine, because there was one last thing he wanted to do in costume before putting he had to put it away for a while again.

Raising his phone to the mirror, Dan gave a thumbs up and adoringly grinned into the reflection of the glass, snapping the picture once it was nicely aligned. Then, he lowered it back down to his lap and rushed to open up his messenger. He didn’t even care to check whether he looked good in it or not, he just wanted to get the news out as fast as he could.

That didn’t mean getting it out to everyone though, since he didn’t want to spoil the surprise-- but rather, to just one person, who to him at the moment happened to be the most important person waiting.

Once everything was done loading, he selected a conversation and got the picture ready to go, and after hitting the send button with little to no worry, he wrote a quick follow up message that shortly read, ‘ _ Just finished my last day recording, I’ll be home soon. _ ’ and sent that too. He stared at it for a while after, and took the moment now to take in and accept the fact that he really was done. That he and Brian really managed to complete their album, and that this would be the last time he’d be in his dressing room until the next one.

He pondered on it all and continued to stare down at his lap blandly, and when he could at last bring himself to somewhat comprehend these things, he exhaled a long-awaited and breathless sigh.

Finally, Dan could go back home.


	2. Chapter 2

The drive back was a handful.

Dan had left early in the morning, packing up his stuff and saying his goodbyes just a few hours after sunrise. Once again, it was a race to beat rush hour, and when he found himself driving down an empty road, it was a total relief. It would be an easy ride home from there, one where he could relax and not worry about traffic.

Yet traffic turned out to be the least of his worries, because with nothing else to focus on but his thoughts, Dan had begun to make himself nervous. His fingers started to frantically tap the steering wheel, and he had to clamp his palms _hard_ to make them stop. There was a tightening feeling in his chest with every shallow breath he’d take, and it took a lot of deep inhales and exhales to reset himself. Yet the thoughts in his head were still there, and no matter how loud he’d turn up the radio, he couldn’t get them out.

It was almost like a first date again. Exhilarating, frightening. He was excited but also stressed that things wouldn’t work out as they used to when he’d return. Afraid of the backlash he would get from being so quiet and unresponsive during his time away, and even more so about the false statements he’d given before. The due-dates when he’d be done turning out to be incorrect, the constant pleading that he wasn’t overworking himself too hard despite having crushing burnouts, and overall simply even saying I love you.

Though it was very much true on Dan’s part, and that he dearly missed and adored you tons, it was hard to admit that at some point it just began to sound like filler.

It was also hard to admit that it was tough for you to say it back.

A phone call, a short text. Quick and easy things that he seemed to ignore during the course of the few months. Always having to get Brian to talk to you because apparently, he was too busy. You had expected him to get wrapped up in loads of work, since pursuing music required tons of talent, perfecting, and especially time, but what you didn’t expect was for him to be so distant about it. The _exact_ feeling he didn’t want you to feel.

But, unfortunately, that’s what you had been experiencing. The sad sense of being distant, stuck, and simply alone. A person who felt pushed aside, constantly given false hope by someone who you didn’t feel like you could trust when it came to the subject.

All of the terrible things that Dan was so scared he had the chance of coming back to. A girl with a broken heart because of his broken promises.

A long sigh stimulated the air, and the singer continued to drive.

* * *

The car slowly pulled into the driveway.

Removing his seatbelt and grabbing the tray of two coffees he decided to buy before making the turn home, he remained idle in his seat and stared blankly at the dashboard. There was a constant thumping against his ribcage, and a steady pulse in his ears. The butterflies in his stomach were frantic, with the thrill he had been feeling in his body all day at its peak. It was _right there_. All he had to do was get out and walk to the front door.

The silence lingered only a small while longer, and after it passed, Dan took a confident breath in through his nose and stepped out of the vehicle, shutting the door softly behind him. The rest seemed to be easy, and there was no hesitance in his stroll as he began to walk towards the house. The only thing he really had to focus on was racking through his mind to find out what he was gonna say when he got there.

Unfortunately, he found himself at the entrance pretty quickly and didn’t have any time left to figure out anything good.

But it didn’t matter, and he couldn’t stall the moment any longer. The time had come, and he wasn’t about to waste his day standing on the porch trying to plan out conversations in his head. Overthinking would solve nothing in the first place, especially if it only made him more tense. He had to be loose and ready, ignore the anxiousness swarming in his chest, and just go for it.

So, Dan raised a hand, gave a firm knock on the door, and waited.

He bit his lip once a couple seconds had passed, and after a few went by, he could almost hear the blood rushing in his ears. 

And when he caught the muffled sound of footsteps approaching from inside after a handful, his breathing hitched and his body seized up and refused to move.

It really was like a first date.

When the familiar sight of a familiar woman appeared in the doorway in front of him, Dan swore his heart nearly melted on the spot. There was a warm feeling of happiness that shot through his nerves and sent tingles all the way down to his toes, and the claustrophobic sense of having a weight pressed against his chest had instantly grown lighter and thin. Just taking a look was like a fresh breath of air, and he was entrancingly stunned because of it. It was a wonderful fondness that he didn’t realize he had missed so dearly.

And for you, when you had seen your boyfriend standing only a few feet away from you when you answered the door, you could say you pretty much felt the exact same feeling that Dan had. A sudden fluttering sensation in your stomach, with a tickling yet shy heat in your ears. It was hard to understand and difficult to pinpoint, but there was a certain emotion that hit you square in the moment that was tough to describe.

But for the most part really, the one thing you were sure of, was that you had just been surprised. It resulted in a small gasp slipping out, and your body freezing up just as Dan’s had. 

The quietness that followed after was almost expected, and the two of you looked at each other speechless as you waited for the other to speak up or do something.

With a thick swallow, Dan decided to make the first move.

“Coffee?” He asked simply, holding the tray out a little as an offering. You blinked, ignoring the cups presented to you, and continued to glare up at him.

“... You’re here? Today?” 

There was a second of confusion in his expression as a response to your comment, but a short nod trailed after. “That’s what my text said, right? I finished up yesterday and was planning on coming back today.” 

“You said _soon_ , I’m pretty sure.” Finally, you cracked an inevitable smile, which made Dan flash an even bigger one, and after that, you decided to take him up on his offer of a coffee. You reached over and took them both from his hands and gestured for him to come inside, and turned your back to make your way to the kitchen for the two of you to enjoy them.

As expected, he followed suit and politely made his way in, shutting the door and locking it behind him before you could even make it to the counter.

Without the added pressure of conversation starters to now worry about, everything else was fairly easy. Dan unzipped his jacket and shucked his shoes off somewhere to the side, messed with his hair a little bit to make sure he looked okay, and smoothed out his shirt for good measure. After that, he wandered his way over to meet you in the kitchen, but when he got there he found himself struck with a sudden yet pleasant surprise.

The second you saw him, you reached out for the collar of his shirt and pulled him down into your body, causing him to stumble for a moment but steady promptly when the two of you caught each other with your lips. His were awkwardly pressed against yours, but he fixed them fairly quickly when he realized what was going on and adjusted himself.

The kiss instantly became something more comfortable and heartfelt, and two of you effortlessly loosened up against each other in a matter of seconds. The tight grip you had on his collar faltered as your hands began to gradually slide down and rest against the warmth of his chest, pulling yourself in closer to his heat. You enjoyed one another’s presence admirably-- Dan was cradling you earnestly in his arms, and you were enveloped in the contentment of his loving touch-- it was peaceful and reassuring, everything you had wanted for the day he’d come back.

Though, there was something strangely odd and misplaced about the vibe it gave off. Something felt fray and disconnected about the kiss, and even if it was too insignificant and small to explain, you could definitely sense that something was different. But Dan on the other hand, hadn’t seemed to notice at all, so you decided that it was only your anxiousness messing with you and casually brushed it off.

When you at last let each other go, you both decided it was time to have your coffees before they got cold. You took your drinks out of the tray and sipped on the lukewarm liquid together, standing side by side while your backs rested against the counter behind you. There was a steady silence in the room, thankfully a comfy one, and it settled the mood to make things more welcome and relaxed. No longer were there nervous fuzzies floating around in Dan’s chest, and the excitement you felt from seeing him at the front door had calmed down as well.

It was nice, really. You felt at home and safe with his presence beside you, and even if neither of you said anything while you drank back your coffees, you could feel your bond slowly growing back together. 

Yet still... you couldn’t help yourself. There was a feeling in your gut, one that almost drew you away from him. Even if it felt like you two had slowly begun growing back together, at the same time, it felt like you had been falling apart.

And unfortunately, the feeling didn’t go away.

The morning dragged on longer than it usually would, and your mood towards the man started draining steadily. That was when he started noticing.

He’d ask you a question, or even just give you a compliment, and you’d respond with only a few short words and be done with it. It gave off the impression that you had no interest in his company, and even when he tried to get physical and give you hugs to cheer you up, you’d give back ones that felt empty and low effort.

It bothered him a lot, to the point of where he started questioning himself. Was there something wrong with him? Maybe he changed during his time gone and you didn’t like it? Usually he’d be willing to sit down and talk and ask what was wrong, but for the time being, he felt too bummed out and decided it was best that you had your space. So instead, he just sat on the couch and played with his phone for a while, and let you continue whatever it was that you were doing.

You didn’t know what was wrong, but you couldn’t find any interest in wanting to talk to him. It still felt like you were alone in the house, as if he hadn’t even come back and was still out doing his work. It felt awful to think about, but maybe you preferred it like that. That’s how you had been living for the past while anyway. He had been gone so long that it didn’t feel normal to actually have him back.

It was everything that Dan hoped wouldn’t happen, and it crushed him.

Eventually lunchtime rolled around, and it was unsurprisingly awkward. You had made up some sandwiches for the two of you to eat, and sat across from each other at the table while you both quietly enjoyed them. Neither of you talked the whole time, but occasionally Dan would look up at you with a thin smile just to show that he liked them. You’d politely give him one back, and that was pretty much it. 

Then dinner came, and Dan had chose to make some chicken fingers. This time however, the two of you ate separately, with him in the living room and you at the kitchen table. He opted to eat somewhere else so you could have more time alone, and also so both of you wouldn’t have to sit through more uncomfortable silence. But, and although he wouldn’t admit it, it was mostly because he didn’t want to bother you with his low spirits.

Those were basically the only times that day you took in each other’s presences, aside from earlier that morning when you first saw him on the front step and while drinking your coffees. You didn’t interact much outside of that, and Dan spent most of his time on the couch either doing things on Instagram or catching up on his reading while you did something else.

Now the day had gone by and it was late into the evening, and just like the past few months, you once again found yourself laying in an empty bed.

It wasn’t even that late, really. It was only about a half hour before midnight, and compared to your usual schedule, it was early. All of those restless nights you spent worrying about Dan and his mental health made it hard for you to sleep, which in return got you to start staying up relatively late. You were actually surprised that he was still up and hadn’t gone to bed yet either, but just like you, he had a weird sleep pattern going on as well for the same reasons.

He was still on the couch, doing his own thing. It wouldn’t be a surprise if you woke up the next morning and saw him sleeping there, considering the two of you weren’t exactly on the best terms. 

You had originally thought that maybe you felt strange around him because you weren't used to him being home just yet. But another part of you felt like it was because you felt somewhat betrayed by him. There were so many times where you just wanted to talk to him, and he’d always be busy. All you wanted was to show him you cared, like he had hoped with all of his heart you would, and you tried. But it felt like he just let you down.

Yet, that was just one of his many flaws. Dan Avidan was so scared of upsetting the ones he loved, that he’d do anything to try and keep them happy. Even if it wasn’t always the right choice.

The depressing crashes and the stressful nights were something he didn’t like to talk about, and were generally when he didn’t like talking to people at all. He was afraid it’d make the mood glum, or that somebody would notice his personality wasn’t as up to par as it usually was. The thought of people worrying over him sucked, and that was why he’d keep his mouth shut and try not to say anything. 

That was why he was so hesitant to talk to you-- because he hated when you saw him unhappy, and he knew that seeing him like that upset you. He just needed to tell you that was how he felt.

You roll over in the bed and face the window, looking out at the clear night sky. The blanket’s pulled tight around you, and after you take one more nice look at the stars, you close your eyes and decide to try and fall asleep. There wasn’t anything else to do for the day, so trying to fix your sleep schedule was probably the best thing to do for the time being. 

Minutes passed, and soon midnight came, and it was around then that you could hear footsteps echo throughout the house. They distracted your mind from boredom due to you being unable to fall asleep, and brought an odd comfort to you when you’d just focus and listen to them. It was weird having someone else in the house after being so used to being alone. They made you feel safe and secure, and took your mind off of things as you concentrated on them.

They wandered around for a while, before eventually becoming louder and closer. Now you were starting to tense up. He was coming to the bedroom, and your nerves began to anxiously shake. There was no time to even overthink, because before you could start doing anything, the door suddenly began creaking open.

Your eyes shut immediately, and thankfully your back was faced towards him so it was easier to trick him into thinking you were sleeping. There was complete silence in the room for a second, and when the door clicked shut, the only sound that followed was his gentle and slow footsteps approaching the bed. You could practically feel his gaze on you, and when you felt his weight move onto the mattress, it was even more intense.

He loomed over you for a moment, his face blank and empty. You couldn’t see it, but there was a certain sadness shadowed in his eyes, and it grew more and more prominent while he continued to watch you. Now there was a feeling of guilt that stuck in your stomach, and when he finally looked away and got under the covers, it tightened and your body started to yell at you.

It hit like a truck when you realized that you’d hurt him. The guilt that was striking in your veins was telling you that you’ve done something wrong, and when your mind starts to go over why, you feel nothing but regret stiffen around you. All he wanted was to make you happy, and in return, you made him feel bad. That night when he told you he didn’t want to come home to see you lost and distant, you gave him exactly that.

It all felt like your fault, and now the man that you loved was laying with his back turned towards yours with his own guilt engulfing him. You felt like you should have looked past your own feelings to try and make him happy, and now you were punching yourself for it. He was right. When you saw him so sad and broken, it hurt you.

You had to say something before he had to dwell any longer, and after a handful of minutes went by with you fighting with yourself over it, you just pushed yourself to go and do it.

“Hey… Dan…” You spoke quietly and rolled over to face him. His back was turned towards you still, and his body was tucked tightly under the blankets. It looked like he was sleeping and you thought he wouldn’t answer, but after a few seconds, he mumbled a gentle hum into his pillow that let you knew he was awake and listening.

You mentally sigh with relief and stay quiet for a moment longer before speaking up again. “... I can’t sleep. I want to talk to you.”

More silence follows, and then he adjusts himself after a bit so he’s laying on his back with his eyes looking up at the ceiling. “... Mmh, me neither. What do you wanna talk about?”

“I want to talk about this whole situation. I’ve been a jerk to you the whole time you’ve been home, Dan.”

He doesn’t say anything.

“I want to say sorry, first. The entire time you were gone, I felt selfish. I understand that you’re busy, but still… I just wanted to see you. Or even just talk a bit. I felt greedy for wanting your time, except, it felt like you gave me barely any in the first place. You told me not to worry, but you constantly left me on edge. I felt shut out from you.”

Dan listens, and then heavily sighs. “... I didn’t want to say anything and stress you out more. Things got tough and I couldn’t put you or anyone through that. I had to concentrate on my job and make sure I put my happiness into _that_ as much as I could, and if I spent my time telling you stuff only to worry about it later, I thought it'd just make the both of us more unhappy. But I had no idea that was how you felt… I’m so sorry…”

He continues to stare at the ceiling, and the room goes quiet while you watch him. The moonlight from the window hits his face in a way that makes him look more gloomy, yet at the same time so eye-catching and pretty. It was hard not to get distracted. His skin is smooth, and his curls are soft, with eyes that match with their warming brown hues. The line of his jaw and the grooves of his neck are more defined as well, and while you study him, you realize just how much you missed having him beside you every night.

“Dan, please don’t apologize. It’s my fault, and it’s okay that--”

“No, don’t blame yourself. I should have paid more attention and taken better care of y--" 

“Dan.”

You say his name with a sternness in your voice, and he stops talking.

“It’s okay. You’re home now, so don’t beat yourself up over it. We don’t need to have this conversation right now to figure that out, since we both know that we’ll always be there for each other anyway. If you want to talk about it later, we can. But for the moment, just remember that I love you no matter what.”

You smile, which in turn makes him light up a little more, and when he turns his head to face you, he gives you a look of sincerity and compassion to let you know that you had all of his trust. “I love you too, baby.”

Before long, your bodies are fully facing each other, and Dan’s arms are open to invite you in for a hug. There’s not a second of hesitance between you, and immediately you’re wrapped in the comfort of his embrace, humming softly into his chest. It had been so long since you were able to just lay there and hold him, and you didn’t want it to end. The way your bodies felt against one another, and how they seemed to mold perfectly together. You squeeze him tighter, and he breathes a smile into your hair before giving a delicate and loving kiss to your forehead in response. 

All you wanted now was for the two of you to be close. Temporarily, you pull yourself away to look him, and when your eyes lock and you feel the affection between you, you lean back in and kiss him without a word. He goes into it effortlessly, and slowly the hug between you fades as his arms leave your body and go up to hold your shoulders.

It gradually deepens, and now your fingers cradle the back of his neck to hold him in place. He groans lowly in the back of his throat, enjoying every second of it, and slides his hands up to cup your jaw as his way of telling you to keep going. You tug him closer in response with your bodies flat together, but now it’s Dan’s turn to pull away, who’s still breathing heavily as the rush of the kiss hangs over him.

“Damn, I forgot how much I missed this. And not to get all barfy, but also how much I missed you. It was hard being away for so long.” His charm reflects in his smile, and he slings an arm over your body so he can give himself leverage and flip himself up on top of you. He rests his leg in between yours, and when he lowers to keep the kiss going, your hands raise to card through his hair with a smile.

“Lots of lonely nights with yourself, I’m guessing?”

“Ugh, tell me about it. I felt like I was in my teens again.”

You laugh quietly, which makes his smile grow, and both of your grins connect when he leans down to get serious again. The two of you move together, and it’s not long until you’re back in the rhythm of the kiss. It grows with intensity as more time passes, and Dan is groaning and pressing against you like he _was_ a horny teenager.

His mouth falls and he gives a few good pecks to your jaw before slipping down to your neck. The skin below your ear shivers when his hot breath draws near, and the sudden tingly pleasure of him pushing his lips into it takes over and you let out a moan. He loves the sound of you, and starts to nibble and bite wherever he can until you’re filled to the brim with the feeling of just _needing_ him.

Your hands move to his chest, which is still covered by his shirt, and makes you notice that he also has his pants, socks and belt still on, too. How was he trying to fall asleep with those all on in the first place? It didn’t matter now though, because by the end of the night, he was probably going to end up with nothing on anyway.

“Dan…” You breathe his name and pull on his shirt. He lifts his head up and looks, his full-on bedroom eyes reflecting curiosity, and gives you a hum to say that he was listening. 

“Can you help me out a bit here? You’re fully dressed and it’s kinda hard for me to get everything off.”

“... Oh yeah… that’s right. ‘Course I can, baby.”

“... Thanks.”

You both smile, and he moves to adjust himself so you can easily slide his shirt over his head. Your eyes connect again, and when you see the passion brewing in them, your chest feels like it’s going to melt and explode at the same time. He seemed so good at everything; including making up for his mistakes. The amount of kindness he had and the way he could easily make you weak for him nearly made you forget about why you were upset in the first place. 

He rests his forehead on yours for a moment, and reaches his hands down to go and loosen his belt. You try and help out, looking past his strands of curls to fiddle around with the buckle, and when it comes loose you subdue a laugh against his top lip with a kiss. “Why did you have everything on in the first place? Isn’t that uncomfortable?”

Dan shakes his head, kissing you back gently. “I didn’t even really think about it. My mind was on different stuff and I was feeling kind of nervous, so I guess I somehow forgot to change? It’s cool now though.” He tosses his belt somewhere by his shirt and brings his fingers back to your face, holding your cheek with one hand while the other trails down to your side. He holds you with desire, and from there starts to tug on your own shirt as his way of saying it was your turn.

It’s off in no time, and the heat starts to build between your bodies with each new and exciting touch. You’ve left kisses all along Dan’s skin, and he’s left plenty on yours too. It was interesting to watch him, and to see just how hung up he’d get from every little thing you did. He was so high strung and sensitive, and you could sense the craving and lust he had for you in his own small and sneaky touches.

Soon his pants are off, and your pajamas are completely gone, and the two of you are caught in a heated mess with only your underwear on. His hands are on your back, messing with your bra clip, and your lips are back on his collarbone, earning rewarding moans from him every time you’d hit one of his sweet spots. Like everything else, eventually your bra is thrown to the floor, and his hair tickles your chest and chin when he goes down to start kissing up the newly revealed skin. 

Your back arches and your hands bunch up his locks, and his fingers start moving down to your last piece of clothing as the two of you become more and more needy. He stops himself there however, and brings himself up for a second, and looks at you with his deepest trust and care he can offer.

“Are we doing this?” His question is simple, and he watches you with parted lips and a half-lidded gaze.

Your mouth forms a smile in return, and your fingers curl in his hair when you bring him down closer to you. “Yes, but only if _you_ want to.”

“Mmh... one hundred percent _yes_.” His nose presses gently into your cheek, and your fingers go to his hips to mimic his actions. Everything goes back into the usual fast-paced rhythm, and after your underwear is gone, his boxers follow.

He looks at you for what feels like the hundredth time that night, and when you notice his soft gaze, you lay still and stare back. Everything about him was so admirable at the moment. The way his pupils were blown with love, and how his cheeks were red with intensity. How his hair shaped his face and dusted his shoulders, and how he watched you with a joyous smirk like you were the most precious thing in the world.

Dan adored you just as much as you adored him. There was no way you could ever stay truly upset with him.

A smile coats his face, and then his eyes close. He bites his lip and groans when he slides into you, and you gasp out a moan when you feel his thickness going deeper inside. He keeps going until the hilt, and you wrap your legs around him and breathe into his chest. You could smell the sweetened scent of his sweat mix in with the harsher odor of his cologne, and press your nose harder against it as you got used to the feeling between your legs.

“You okay?” His voice is soft and attentive, and your head nods yes, and he steadies himself while you lean back to rest your head on your pillow. He starts off by pumping in and out slowly, and your breathing gets more and more ragged and in tune with his when he starts easing into faster motions. Your hips roll with his and your back arches with pleasure, fingers clutching the bed sheets as an array of sensations washes over you.

Everything had felt so overwhelming, yet still so amazingly thrilling. The last time you and Dan had been this close seemed so long ago, and the heat that he brought nearly sent you over the edge. You did the best you could to focus on him, watching his hair bounce with every thrust and seeing how his jaw had gone slack from the own pleasures he was experiencing. Noticing how his sweat tangled with his locks, making its soft curly texture unwind into something more wiry and glossy.

Things started getting intense fast, and before you knew it, your casual love-making session had turned into something more along the lines of 'months of tension without your significant other' kind of sex, specifically. The two of you were starting to reach the brink, proven by Dan’s increasing number of moans and groans, and by the way you were starting to tense up around him.

“O-oh, I… I’m…” Words begin fumbling out of his mouth, your name pleaded relentlessly in between his strained breaths. A feeling of tightness and warmth starts to pool in the pit of your stomach, and you swing your hands up from the bed sheets and onto his back to call out his name plenty in return. You were hitting your max. Every time he pushed you harder into the mattress, you could feel your body etching closer and closer to the brink.

Everything in your body tenses, and with his voice ringing in your ears you let yourself go, orgasming around him with an intensity you had forgotten existed. It didn’t take him long to finish after that, and with a few final pushes he hits his own climax, pulling out with a passionate lasting moan as his juices shoot out and suddenly cover your stomach. 

You lay there in Dan’s stickiness, who’s speechless and panting for air, and your high has your mind racing, preventing you from trying to come up with anything to say in the moment.

The only thing either of you could comprehend was that what you just did was _amazing_.

He flops beside you with a hefty thump and closes his eyes, breathing heavily while focused on the feeling of his chest rising and falling. Once he decides to move again, and reaches over to the bedside table and grabs some tissues from the drawer to help you clean up. You do your best to make sure you’ve gotten everything, and he helps out a bit too.

“Sorry I ending up jizzing all over you. But… you’ve got to admit though, it was pretty hot.” Dan’s combo of a tender smile and quirked eyebrow make you want to laugh, especially with your endorphin high, but you pass him a lazy grin instead and shrug your shoulders. “I couldn’t even see it happen, Dan. All I saw was your face and how much you looked like a porn star.” That makes him blush surprisingly, all things considered, and now you let out a giggle and rest your head back on your pillow. He does too, and the two of you lay in silence for a bit.

“Do you still want to have that talk?” You ask quietly, and his head turns to you.

“What talk? Do we still have problems even after what we just did?” He takes a pause and looks back up at the ceiling, more serious this time. “We can if you want to. I just hope you’re still not mad at me, and at least if you are, not for too much longer.”

A soft expression covers your features. “I’m not mad at you, Dan. If anything, I’m glad to finally have you home again.” You move in to rest your face on his chest. He holds you, arm slung around your body, sighing contently as his eyes slowly come to a close.

“I’m glad to be back.” He replies with his lazily wide and heartfelt smile etched into his cheeks. With that, it doesn’t take long for the two of you to drift off into sleep, and your bodies lay cuddled against one another, the close bond between you restored and back to normal.

Dan and you  _ both _ finally felt at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfic here, so I hope it isn't too bad? I tried my best at making it more in-depth and not one-dimensional, so hopefully that kinda worked. Thanks for reading!


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